But we ARE close to the end of our trip. People keep asking, "Are you sad it's almost over?"

I feel like I SHOULD be sad. This has been a grand adventure. We've enjoyed the fresh air, the scenery, the chance to learn so many new things, the chance to meet people from all walks of life. Each day has been different. Each day has been jammed with memorable sights and experiences. Who would want that to end?

But no, I'm not sad. I feel fine. Our trip has been a circumnavigation. A Great Loop. We're about to come full circle. To return to the place where we began. It feels right. It feels logical. And it's happening before I am ready to run off the boat, screaming.

Yesterday the black slate banks of the Mohawk River were cascading
with dozens of tiny waterfalls

Now, if only we CAN come full circle. Because of continued rain and flooding, the Erie Canal is currently closed between our current location (Schenectady, NY) and our ultimate destination (just east of Rochester). The locks will not open today.

They may open tomorrow. Or not. And though we've often joked about our "amphibious assault canal boat," and pretended that she can climb right up out of the river like those duckboats in Philly, she doesn't actually roll on land.

So we're tie to a cement wall just below Erie's Lock #8, bouncing in the current as water booms over the dam.

If there's one thing we've learned from this trip, it's how to be patient and open when plans must change. Stay tuned.